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Chapter 4 (manga)
"Book of Gap" is the 4th chapter of The Mystic Archives of Dantalian manga. It's divided into three parts. Student Jessica Elphinstone is trying to catch Benjamin Diffring, a serial killer who escaped prison and is rumored to be hidden in her school. Hugh and Dalian, originally visiting the place in order to find a Phantom Book, end up helping her.The Mystic Archives of Dantalian manga, Chapter 4. __TOC__ Summary Part I A student with a ponytail is waiting at a library. She’s supposed to be working on an assignment with her friend, but Matilda is late. She gets up to search for a book, only to find someone collapsed on the floor, covered in blood. Matilda is being injured by a man with a knife. The student screams in panic, waking up from a nightmare in the same library. The young girl is unsure that what she saw was only a dream. Hugh reads an uninteresting newspaper, trying to keep himself awake. He is tired after driving all night. Dalian is having lunch, eating Hugh’s portion. She demands more tea and complains about the sugar used on the bread. Although the backcountry town has clean air and peaceful atmosphere, the large collection of the school library is the only thing that makes her want to stay there. The students below were looking at the balcony, watching the strangers. Sit on a bench next to Dalian, Hugh is uncomfortable, unable to relax in that all-girls boarding school. He waves at the girls, but they react with disgust. Suddenly, a student with a ponytail appears to question them, threateningly holding a cricket bat. Hugh eventually explains that Principal Roedean allowed their visit. Hugh and Dalian came to that school to search for something. After introducing herself as Jessica Elphinstone, the student asks if they were investigating the rumors about a serial killer. Benjamin Diffring escaped prison and now is said to be hidden in the school. In the past few days, a student and a teacher have disappeared. Jessica is carrying a cricket bat as weapon because she is trying to catch the criminal. Hugh affirms he’s not aiming for Diffring. Dalian, in turn, mocks her effort. Her provocation angers Jessica, who runs away with teary eyes. Feeling the scent of human blood and the vestiges of magical power, Dalian tells Hugh to follow her. The Phantom Book they were looking for is probably connected to the elusive serial killer and it can explain how he broke free from prison. Jessica runs to the library, where she finds an opened leather bag with a book inside. The young girl screams when she sees, next to it, the naked corpse of a woman. The student fainted before Hugh and Dalian’s arrival. Jessica's dream.jpg|Jessica finds a wounded student. Benjamin Intro.jpg|Jessica sees Benjamin Diffring. Jessica Introduction.jpg|Jessica questions Hugh and Dalian. Teacher's body.jpg|Jessica finds the body of a woman. Police officers interdicted the library that same night. Jessica was moved to the adjacent building to rest. Hugh is watching over her while reflecting about the body of the teacher. There was a meticulous cut from her abdomen down to her crotch. Her uterus was pulled out as if it was part of a sacred ritual. Soon Dalian shows up to push him and make some space in the chair. She sits next to him and gives some hints about the murder case. Hugh notices that the criminal left no footprints, something normally impossible since he had to move the corpse to the library after the killing. The serial killer could only accomplish that if he had a Phantom Book. Jessica raises up to share the moment when she saw Diffring dealing with the body of her friend Matilda. He had folded her like a paper and taken her away inside a book. Part II Jessica had tried to tell the others about the unusual phenomenon, but everyone acted as if she was crazy. Only Hugh and Dalian could believe in her story. They walk away to find the Phantom Book and catch the serial killer. Hugh particularly wants to solve the case before Wes’ name is involved. Jessica cries in gratitude as Dalian drags Hugh away by the ear. He waits outside, blocking the door and preventing Jessica from leaving. Since the student witnessed the murder, she will be Diffring’s next target. Although she’s protesting, wishing to look for Matilda, Hugh only wants to protect her. Dalian returns with a book about the serial killer. The information was gathered by the students of that school. It says that his real name and background are unknown. The man seems to be in his late twenties. He committed his first murder eight years ago. Diffring took the lives of eleven people before being captured. His victims had always the same vertical cut. He read many advanced books while in prison until he found a Phantom Book and disappeared. Hugh does not think that the presence of a large number of young girls is the reason for Diffring to use the school to hide himself. Before Hugh can develop his theory, he notices that Jessica escaped through the window by climbing down a rope. She wants to take Matilda out of Diffring’s book, hoping that she’s alive. The student somehow manages to evade the police officers and sneak inside the library, carrying her cricket bat. Matilda is found seriously wounded. The serial killer comes out from the book behind Jessica. He thrusts his knife at her but stops to dodge Hugh’s shots. Diffring is followed to a dead end, where he vanishes without trace. Dalian uses a Phantom Book to heal Matilda. Jessica now knows that Hugh and Dalian are related to The Mystic Archives of Dantalian. The student heard about the magical library from her late grandmother. Dalian gets emotional when Jessica expresses her gratitude for saving the life of her friend. Diffring watches them from the bookshelf nearby, showing a malicious smile. Jessica Protected.jpg|Hugh locks Jessica inside a room. Matilda Alive.jpg|Jessica finds Matilda alive. Benjamin Attacks.jpg|Hugh saves Jessica from the serial killer. Dalian Healing.jpg|Dalian uses a Phantom Book to heal Matilda. Part III The serial killer’s past is shown. He’s wounded, running away from soldiers. Inside a house, he finds the corpse of a woman. The man believes that her body will be a safe place for him. The students are discussing about the rumors about Diffring and the presence of the police after the body of a teacher was found. Meanwhile, Hugh and Jessica are sit on a bench, in the middle of a garden, where they can see anyone approaching. Being alone with Hugh makes the student nervous, but since she became a target, he must protect her. Furthermore, Hugh is trying to keep Diffring away from the library. Dalian interrupts the conversation by pulling Jessica’s hair. Hugh and Dalian explain that the isolated school was ill-suited as a hideaway. Someone could easily identify him and warn the authorities. Hugh also adds that killing is not his goal. Before Jessica can learn the truth, the Deputy Head Teacher shows up. Apparently, Miss Roedean wrote a letter asking her to deliver a book to Jessica. Hugh tells her to put the book away, but it’s too late. A blade emerges from between its pages, severing the teacher’s right hand. Diffring appears out of the Phantom Book that fell on the ground. At first, he was flat like a paper, but he unfolded himself back to normal. The Void grants him the power to decrease the thickness of anything. He removes a shotgun from the Phantom Book to shoot at Jessica. The bullets stop in the air, affected by the Book of Styx in Hugh’s hands. Diffring, in disadvantage, runs away. Hugh and Dalian take their time to follow him, since they already know where he is heading. It’s a place where people wouldn’t be able to ascertain in which book he is hiding in. The library, however, is empty. The serial killer examines the empty bookshelves. Hugh, behind him, points the revolver at his head. In order to catch the murderer, Dalian had sealed the whole collection inside the Labyrinth Library. Diffring screams in despair before being knocked out by Hugh. The defeated man is restrained by police officers. According to Hugh, there is only one more thing to do. Benjamin's past.jpg|The past of Benjamin Diffring. Teacher's hand.jpg|Diffring cuts the teacher's hand off. Benjamin Folded.jpg|Diffring emerges from between the pages. Styx Shield (1).jpg|Diffring's shots are stopped. Styx Shield (2).jpg|Hugh uses the Book of Styx. A woman thanks Hugh for solving the case. Although an excellent teacher was lost, the students were safe. She affirms that Hugh looks more and more like Wesley. She also asks what he thinks of Jessica. Hugh believes that he was called to the school only to consider marrying with the daughter of a venerable family. Hugh’s aunt affirms that she wouldn’t force them together. After all, Dalian has been glaring at her for a while from the outside. Hugh drives off with Dalian soon after. Dalian is reading Diffring’s testimony. It seems that the serial killer is a former soldier who wants to return to a womb. It’s possible that the horror of war made him wish to be reborn. Jessica is tasked to organize the library once again by herself. She plans to make Hugh and Dalian listen to her complaints during the next summer break. Matilda shows up to help her friend. Trivia * The chapter opens with Jessica searching the library for the A Midsummer Night's Dream, a comedy written by William Shakespeare at the end of the sixteenth century.A Midsummer Night's Dream. (2017, September 22). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 23:05, September 28, 2017, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=A_Midsummer_Night%27s_Dream&oldid=801881496 * Diffring starts cutting the arm's teacher around the wrist. The next page inconsistently shows that he removed almost the entire cuff of her top. * The panel showing Jessica uncomfortable after being teased by Dalian, who mentions the size of her legs, is probably inspired by a light novel illustration. Jessica's legs.png|Jessica's legs, light novel version. Jessica's legs (manga).jpg|Jessica's legs, manga version. References Category:Manga Chapters